Why are We Surprised That White People Like Ta-Nehisi Coates’s Writing?

Journalist and lawyer Sally Kohn may have a better idea. In “Why White Women Should Read Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Book,” an opinion piece featured in ELLE, Kohn didn’t discuss white fandom. But as a white woman, she urges other white women to pick up the memoir—especially those who may live in very homogeneous white communities.
“That Between the World and Me was explicitly not written for white people (like me) is exactly why we should read it. Because part of the ideology of white supremacy and racial hierarchy is the idea that everything white is better, and that people of color should learn from how white people dress and work and raise their kids and write. Want to subvert that subtle, implicit bias? Tweeting #BlackLivesMatter is good, but expanding your intellectual as well as actual interpersonal relationships is even better. And especially if you live in a very white part of America, a book is a great place to start.”